Aircraft operators often desire aircrafts to fly around an area of interest (e.g., a ship wreck, accident site) to perform a search and rescue mission and/or surveillance. The flight path around such an area of interest can include a closed-loop ground path with a radial distance from the area of interest. In this way, the aircraft can maintain a particular distance while performing its mission with respect to the area-of-interest. Additionally, in the event that the area of interest is hostile, the aircraft can fly at a safe distance from the area of interest.